


友引 (Tomobiki)

by capncosmo



Category: Kamen Rider Kuuga
Genre: Asexy April, Bittersweet, Gen, Grey-A, Greyromantic, Grief/Mourning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2015-04-13
Packaged: 2018-03-22 15:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3734821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capncosmo/pseuds/capncosmo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After 13 years, Ichijou Kaoru lets himself move forward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	友引 (Tomobiki)

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set after and compliant with the Kuuga Novel, a summary of which can be found [here](http://capncosmo.dreamwidth.org/275458.html), no matter how much I wish otherwise.

Ichijou Kaoru opened his eyes slowly against the late morning sunlight. It took him a moment to orient himself: slumped in a chair, coat draped over him, in Tsubaki's office, the man himself bent over a chart, his features sharp from the light of the x-rays hung in front of him. He could only have slept for an hour or two at most, but nevertheless he felt refreshed.

"You'd be better off in a bed, you know," Tsubaki said without looking up.

"No, I'm not going to sleep any more."

"You're not, huh?" Tsubaki's tone was skeptical, and Ichijou wondered briefly what he meant by it.

"How's Natsume-kun?" he asked instead.

"Still asleep, but she'll walk out of here none the worse for wear. Her stone might be 'incomplete,' but it's got a perfectly functional healing factor." Snapping the chart closed, Tsubaki swiveled in his chair and looked straight at Ichijou. "Other people don't have that kind of ability."

Before answering, Ichijou took a deep breath and an inventory of his body. When he was satisfied it was the truth, he answered, "I'm fine."

Tsubaki's scrutiny intensified, but after a moment, he relented, leaning back in his chair with a resigned sigh. "So, not a 0% chance after all."

"He said to give his regards to everyone, and then he went off on an adventure again."

Tsubaki's face was carefully blank. "And do you think he's smiling right now?"

Ichijou heard the question he was really asking, or maybe questions, and turned his face into the warmth of the sunlight and up to the clear blue sky. He had thought he'd be happier, or angrier, but nothing could move the quiet tranquility in his heart. "I know he is."

***

Ichijou found Sugita at their not-quite-barren workroom. 

"All right?"

Ichijou nodded. "Natsume-kun, too."

"Thank god." Sugita let the words out as though they were a breath he'd been holding, and he slumped back in his chair in obvious relief. "That means I'm happy, at least."

Ordinarily Ichijou might have flinched thinking of the airplane and the potential other innocent people caught up in their fight, but his calm persisted as he said, "How many civilian casualties?"

"Just the ones on the plane, miraculously. They're not too upset with me upstairs; if anything PSB might get the fallout," he said with sharp grin. "Watch out."

"I'll take care," Ichijou said, sharing in the thin joke. He might be back over there tomorrow. It was surreal. "You don't think Gouhara Tetsuo will come after you?"

"Eh, I'm not scared of him. What's he going to do to an old police officer? I'm already worked to death and all gray from my subordinates' crazy risks." Ichijou felt vaguely ashamed and began to apologize, but Sugita waved him off. "Nah, I just feel a little sorry for Gouhara's widow. Not even 30 is awfully young to lose a spouse, even if they are a murderous ULF."

Ichijou turned the words over in his head, especially "widow," the Chinese characters coming to mind and their implication that she would be just waiting to die seeming unfair all of the sudden. She was young; there was plenty more for her to do in her life, plenty of time for her to heal and to move on.

"'Course, I doubt she'll be writing her name in red on a shared headstone," Sugita added flippantly, breaking the serious atmosphere from his previous comment. "Doesn't seem like this will be dragging her down at all, from the news clips."

"Then I suppose that's that." Ichijou realized that he was still just in the doorway.

"I suppose so, but how about helping with these final reports before you run off?"

Ichijou's mouth widened in a genuine smile. "Of course."

***

"Are you sure about this?" Minori looked uneasy, but he couldn't tell if it was the imposition or the prospect of letting her son out of her sight for the night.

Ichijou laughed. "We'll be fine, won't we Yuunosuke?" The baby gurgled happily as Ichijou bounced him up and down gently. "Enjoy your evening."

Minori returned his smile, and he was struck as always how much it reminded him of her brother's. Ever since the battle a few months previous, though, it had turned into a welcome sight.

The two of them saw Yuunosuke's parents off, stowed the borrowed baby things, then played for a little while until it was clear it was time for bed for one of them. Ichijou sat next to the baby, patting him gently on the back, and marveling at what a wonder he was. Minori could have thought his attempts to renew their friendship were strange, and he was sure he was so awkward at times she didn't know what to do with him, but of course she'd welcomed him into her life with a warmth he wasn't sure he deserved. The dam inside of him had been broken, though, for good, and when everything he'd been keeping locked in his heart drained away, he found himself able to give back at least enough he wasn't totally ashamed of his emotional distance.

Yuunosuke yawned, the rhythmic pats and warmth of his blankets seeming finally to overtake him. Ichijou smoothed down what little hair he had and watched him drift off. He was so much bigger than when they'd met, and he was growing more and more every time they saw each other. It was humbling to see so plainly time marching forward, this little life going with it.

He'd never intended to love anyone, but when he'd woken up that morning in Tsubaki's office, it was plain that it was too late; he already did. He hadn't expected it to feel like a peaceful sunrise, but in hindsight, he should have.

Though he couldn't quite see it from where he was sitting, he looked over to where he knew his picture of Godai sat in its frame and smiled. "Tomorrow, we'll watch the sun come up," he whispered, careful not to wake the baby. "And I'll tell you about your uncle. How does that sound?" Ichijou smiled softly, and let time move him forward, too.

**Author's Note:**

> 1/21/2001, when the final episode aired, was 友引 in the traditional six-day week calendar, the day that will "pull friends" along. Good for weddings, bad for funerals.


End file.
